Does AI’s personality change how we think?
We’re used to AI assistants that are helpful, polite and ready to provide an answer. But Aleksandra’s research suggests that the way AI behaves can influence how people work with it. In one experiment, participants interacted with either a supportive AI assistant or a deliberately difficult one. While the supportive assistant helped people complete tasks more effectively, the less helpful AI pushed participants to think more independently, although they also experienced greater frustration.
This raises an interesting question: should AI always give us the answer, or should it sometimes encourage us to find it ourselves? Aleksandra introduces the concept of Socratic AI, an approach where AI encourages people to ask better questions and develop their own thinking, rather than simply completing tasks for them.
More productivity, but less creativity?
Aleksandra also shares research involving 200 participants who were asked to choose an idea and develop a plan to execute it. One group could use AI as much as they wanted, while the other had very limited access. The AI-assisted group produced stronger execution plans, but the group with less AI support selected more original ideas and reported feeling more engaged in the work.
The results highlight an important distinction between getting things done and developing ideas worth pursuing. AI can help people move faster and improve execution, but relying on it too heavily may also lead to more generic thinking and a weaker sense of ownership. As Aleksandra explains, the challenge is understanding when AI should take on the work and when human creativity needs more space.
Why human judgement still matters
For organisations, Aleksandra argues that measuring AI adoption is no longer enough. Instead, she suggests looking at what she calls AI friction: how people actually interact with the technology. Are employees making decisions themselves? Do they challenge AI’s suggestions? How much of their work do they delegate, and how much do they keep?
These questions are particularly relevant for companies like OLX Group, where AI is already part of how we build and improve our marketplaces. As technology takes on more tasks, understanding its impact on people’s skills, decisions and experiences becomes increasingly important.
The conversation also looks at what this means for younger generations entering the workforce. If AI takes over tasks that once helped people learn, how will they develop the experience needed for more senior roles?
Watch the second episode of CLAIM the Mic
From the personality of AI assistants to the future of human creativity, this episode explores how we can benefit from AI without becoming too dependent on it.
Watch the full conversation below, or listen on Spotify.
